


Call You Home

by B1nary_S0lo



Series: Aylwen Lavellan [13]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Cultural Differences, Dalish Elven Culture and Customs, Elf/Human Relationship(s), F/M, Fluff, Homesickness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-13
Updated: 2016-09-13
Packaged: 2018-08-14 15:51:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 409
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8019931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/B1nary_S0lo/pseuds/B1nary_S0lo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aylwen remembers home.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Call You Home

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Cullavellan Week 2016, Day 5: Sharing Customs
> 
> I should probably mention Clan Lavellan is still alive and well in this universe. Aylwen is just having a tough time with the whole dating-a-human thing.
> 
> The elven used is the famous Dalish lullaby from World of Thedas 2.

It was inevitable that Cullen would one day notice the fragments of careful, looping writing scattered around her quarters, especially when he began to spend more time there. Standing beside her desk one morning, he picked one up, smiled and said, “What’s this?”

Aylwen, putting up her hair on the other side of the room, almost crossed the space to snatch the paper away from him. She shouldn’t have left it lying on the desk for anyone to see.  _The secret of writing is for us alone,_ Keeper Deshanna had said. _You must guard it closely, or else the shemlen might steal it away._ But then, the panic of seeing the paper in his hand passed, and he was just Cullen again—warm, curious Cullen.

“It’s elven,” Aylwen said. She finished pinning her hair in place, then crossed the room to come and stand beside him. She rested a hand on his arm. “I write it out sometimes. It calms me down.”

His large hand passed once over the fine black marks, the precise, even strokes, before handing it back to her.

“It’s very beautiful,” he said. “What does it say?”

She took the paper from him, hesitated. _For us alone_ _…_ But then she shook her head and moved closer.

“It’s a lullaby,” she said. “Part of one, anyway.” Gently, she took his hand, and moved it across the letters as she read. “ _Tel_ _’efenim, da’len_ ,” she read. “ _Irassal ma ghilas, ma garas mir renan. Ara ma_ _’athlan vhenas. Ara ma’athlan vhenas._ ”

He smiled at her, a blush on his cheeks. He turned his hand to lace his fingers with hers, and his skin was warm.

“What does it mean?” he said.

“Um…” she frowned. It was difficult trying to translate on the spot, even more so when he was so close. “Something like… _Don_ _’t fear, little one… Wherever you go… follow my voice. I will call you home._ ”

She swallowed around a lump in her throat. She remembered Deshanna’s rough voice singing her to sleep when she was little. _Ara ma_ _’athlan vhenas… I will call you home._

Cullen must have noticed something, because he shifted and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She could feel the rumble of his voice as he spoke.

“You’ll see them again someday,” he said.

Aylwen wrapped her own arm around his waist and leaned into him, but said nothing. Her fingers tightened around the paper still clutched in her hand.


End file.
